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New Frailty Assessment Unit opens at Ysbyty Gwynedd


February 02, 2025 - 290 views

A new Frailty Assessment Unit has opened at Ysbyty Gwynedd to improve quality of care and patient experience.

The Unit has opened as part of efforts to help reduce pressures on the Emergency Department and to enhance the care provided to frail elderly patients to avoid hospital admissions.

Patients who attend the Emergency Department are screened by dedicated Frailty teams, before being transferred to the unit for a comprehensive assessment and care by a specialist multidisciplinary team that includes Geriatricians, Therapists, Pharmacists and Nurses.  

Dr Conor Martin, Consultant in the Care of the Elderly at Ysbyty Gwynedd, said: “As the population ages, hospitals across the UK are seeing an increase in frail, elderly patients, who are at higher risk of poor outcomes when admitted into hospital.

“The feedback we have had so far in only the few weeks that the unit has been opened has been very positive. We are still in the early days but our aim is to ensure that our frail patients receive timely and appropriate care. This means some patients can discharged the same day, avoiding unnecessary hospital stays, and reducing the overall amount of time they spend in hospital, which we know is better for their ongoing wellbeing and recovery.”

So far, the unit, which started operating only three weeks ago, has had 52 admissions, of these 60 per cent were discharged home.

Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, Jeremy Miles MS visited the unit this month to meet with the clinical team and to hear how this service was benefitting patients and the hospital.

Mr Miles said: "The new frailty unit at Ysbyty Gwynedd marks a step forward in the care for older people in North Wales. This specialist unit brings together doctors, nurses and allied health professionals to provide expert care when it's needed most, focusing on the principle of same day emergency care, helping to prevent complications and reduce avoidable hospital stays.

"I was impressed to see how the unit is supporting older people to maintain their independence, which we know will lead to better quality of life outcomes, while also easing pressure on the NHS.”

Mr Miles also visited Wrexham Maelor Hospital during his trip to North Wales where he met with staff inside the Control Room where he heard of the challenges currently being faced during the winter months but also the improvements being made to improve patient experience and hospital discharges.